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Garret Detweiler Hunsicker (1814-1879)
|long_name=Garret Hunsicker |wedding1_nation=United States of America }} Garrett Detweiler Hunsicker, the youngest son of Rev. John Hunsicker, was born 3 February, 1814, on a farm, still occupied by one of decendents, on the west bank of the Perkiomen Creek, south of Iron Bridge, Perkiomne Township, Montgomery County, Pa. His mother was a daughter of Johannes Detweiler and Catherine Funk, the latter being a direct descendant of Bishop Henry Funk. The Former was a son of Joseph Detweiler, the son of Hans Detweiler. This Family was noted for their height, size, and strength. He was married, 10 February, 1830, to Elizabeth Wigton Morgan, a woman of more than ordinary alertness of mind and of fine executive ability; an extensive reader, and a ready conversationalist, being interested in affairs of church, of state, and of reform; a devout Christian, with a most comprehensive knowledge of the Scriptures, her almost exclusive reading in early years; active in Christian service, having been from its organization, in 1837, a teacher in the Sunday-school of her church for more than forty years; even previous to this, having taught in the school of St. James' Episcopal Church, Evansburg. In both life and character she well filled out the picture of the model woman in the thirty-first chapter of Proverbs. Of this union four children lived to maturity: J. Quincy; Mary M., married, 16 February, 1871, to John R. Thomas, died 31 July, 1876; Ella M., at present a teacher in the Benedict College, Columbia, S. C.; and Robert M. In a partnership with Isaac Detweiler he was, from 1836 to April, 1843 engaged in store-keeping at Providence Square. Upon relinquishing this, he moved to Mingo Mill, on Mingo Creek near where it enters the Schuylkill River, about one mile east of Royersford in Upper Providence. On 1 May, 1848, he moved to his father-in-law's farm, on Germantown Turnpike, in Lower Providence, between Perkiomen Bridge and the old village of Evansburg. In 1855 he purchased a farm north of Evansvurg, on the road heading north from St. James' Episcopal Church; situate partly in Lower Providence and partly in Perkiomen Township, to which he moved 27 February of that year. He sold this farm in 1871 to John R. Thomas, his son-in-law, and J. Quincy Hunsicker, His son. He continued, however, to reside there until 1877, when he moved into the house at the east end of Evansburg long occupied by Dr. John R. Grigg. Here he spent the remainder of his life. He received such education as the schools of the locality afforded. Possessed of a keen mind, he had more than ordinary intelligence; and through extensive reading and observation, with the benefit of good home associations, he became a man well informed on all topics of general interest, and entertained advanced ideas upon the questions of the day. He early became interested in public matters. He took great interest in temperance reform, actively cooperating in the Washingtonian agitation of 1840 and subsequent years. He had a great fondness for music, and, having a good and well-cultivated voice, attained quite an excellency in vocal music. It was one of his achievements, with friends of musical taste, to sing by note any piece of music at sight. When the Providence Mennonite Church substituted English for German in its services, he took charge of the singing. He also gave free instruction in vocal music to the young folks of the locality, who formed classes for that purpose, meeting weekly in the school-houses in the surrounding neighborhood. On 6 March, 1859, he became a member of the Lower Providence Baptist Church, his wife having been a member previous to marriage. For many years before becoming a member he was leader of the choir, and afterwards, until 1875, when he was succeeded by his son, Robert M. He filled, at different time, the post of clerk and trustee, and for many years he was Sunday-school superintendent. In politics he was originally an Old Line Whig, antislavery in sentiment, and was an original Republican. He always took an active interest in party affairs, and filled a prominent place in its councils and activities. In 1860 he was the nominee of the party for clerk of the courts. He ran considerably ahead of the party vote, but not enough to overcome the strong Democratic majority of the county at that time. In 1867 he was a party candidate for County Treasurer, with like result. During Lincoln's Administration he served acceptably as one of the first Board of Revenue Assessors for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He resigned from this office when President Johnson broke with his part. In 1870 he served as census enumerator for the Townships of Perkiomen and Worcester. During the Rebellion he was an enthusiastic and consistent supporter of the Lincoln Administration and its various policies. He took an active and important part in raising funds for bounties paid to men who enlisted to fill the quota required of his township under the calls of the President for additional recruits. In those days banking facilities were not such as now. On one occasion he was one of a committee of three, representing Perkiomen Township, who collected a very large sum of money required to pay the bounties to those enlisting. The money was carried in currency to Harrisburg in a valise, at a time when the city was greatly congested by the presence of many others on like errands, and those desiring to enlist, bounty jumpers, and other adventurers. They secured the requisite number, disbursed the money necessary to pay the bounties, and returned without any untoward event. He was public-spirited and occupied a prominent place in business circles. For many years he was secretary of the Montgomery County Mutual Fire Insurance Company. With the treasurer of the Company he traveled all parts of the county and part of Philadelphia County, at stated periods, collecting assessments, meeting the members at points according to previous announcement. This gave him a very extensive acquiantance, reaching to every part of the district. Speaking with equal ease both in English and German gave him peculiar adaptation for the duties of his office. He was one of the organizers and incorporators of the Perkiomen Valley Fire Insurance Company, a very successful organization, of which he was for a number of years director and secretary. He was also active in organizing and subsequently managing and conducting to a successful conclusion the Upper and Lower Providence Building and Loan Association. he was also one the organizers of, and took an active part in projecting and building, the Perkiomen Railroad, and served for some years as a director. He was in addition to his other activities a progressive farmer for many years, employing machinery and other improve devices and methods. Early in the '50's he and D. Morgan Casselberry, a neighboring farmer with advanced ideas, bought a McCormick mower and reaper, the first in that part of the State. It required four horses and two men to operate the reaper and was a great curiosity at the time. When first put in operation, people came from all directions to see it. Laborers objected, and some refused to work on the farms, because they regarded the use of such appliances as detrimental to their interests. It was not long, however, until laborers preferred working where such improvements were in use. He kept abreast of the times by taking and reading agricultural papers and other publications of that kind. The result was that his farm was brought to a high state of cultivation and produced great and therefore unusual crops. Mr. Hunsicker was widely known and enjoyed the confidence and respect of all who knew him. He was a large man, of fine presence, six feet two inches in height, of rare natural ability, general bearing, and with quite a vein of humor. He was a good conversationalist, and, being well informed on subjects of general as well as of local interest, was an interesting character. He always had the courage of his convictions, and was ever ready to maintain them, but in such a way as not to give offence to those who differed with him. He consequently had many friends amongst Democrats as well as Republicans, although the times were such that animosities often prevailed between those of opposite parties. His death, due to an attack of apoplexy a year previous, occurred 19 February, 1879, the fortieth anniversary of his marriage. His remains are interred in the cemetery of the Lower Providence Baptist Church by the side of those of the wife of his youth, whose death occurred 20 October, 1883. ::Henry A. Hunsicker, 1911 Siblings }}